Los Angeles daily herald., 1887-08-21

not be enough to prevent the threat
ened famine in the East.
There is no branch of trade in Chi.
cago to-day that is in a more feverish
and unsettled condition than canned
goods. 1t became evident over q
month ago that the packs of certain
kinds of fruits such as cherries, straw.
berries and currants would probably
be light, the yield in very few places
east of the Mississippi river having
exceeded the ordinary demand fol-
fresh fruit.
Berry after berry disappointed the
growers until at last hopes were con-
fined in this part of the country to the
grape, peach and apple crops. Now
it is known or at least generally sup
posed that these hopes are also to be
disappointed. The East has had an
abundance OF rain, but it is an off year
for apples in many sections and the
Weld is too small and of poor quality.
The grape and peach growing sec
tions Of the West and South have
suffered from drouth which has ruined
the prospects of these fruits, and the
Eastern crops are not much more than
enough to supply the home demand.
| 1t is not surprising, therefore, that
delears in canned fruits are both act
i've and cautious.
They are suddenly called upon to
face situation which was entirely
unexpected two months ago. Then
they were lending their energies to an
endeayor to enlarge their trade. Now
tbey are overwhelmed and dazed by a
wears business condensed into the
orders of one month.
A salesman on the road has good
year's work. Ordinarily he takes job
bers' orders for $3.50 worth OF goods, but
the last month has been like mil
lenium to him. Each man has come
home with triumph at his success in
working up business and prepared for
| compliments on the $l00, 900 in orders
that he has telegraphed to his firm.
But chagrin and discontinue await
him. His house has ransacked the
country, and has sent men to the At
lantic and Pacific slopes, but they can
not find fruit enough to fill half his
orders.
The consumer has helped to aggra-
vate the situation. Canned fruits
have been so cheap in late years that
many housewives resolved at the be-
ginning of the season not to put up
the fruit She has excused herself to
her friends with the assurance that it
did not pay to can anything when she
could buy it already canned for less
than the sugar cost.
Prunes, cheap and famous substi-
tute for home fruits, are threatening
to climb to the heights now occupied
by such luxuries as grape preserves
and raspberry jam.
The only patch of earth that is bet
ter off than Mother Hubbard's cup
board seems to be California, but Cal
ifornia, it is feared, will not prove
equal to the emergency. She has
fruit enough, but she is just beginning
to take care of the abundance born of
her soil and climate. Chicago dealers
who have not California connection,
wish they had, and are making every
effort to secure them now"
Such a situation as that recited
above will attract great deal of at
tention to California and her products.
In thousands of families where our
fruit has never been used, the prod
ucts of the Golden State will become
well known, and there will be created
demand which will grow and in
crease for the next twenty years.
AN EXAMPLE.
A dispatch to the HERALD from
Portland, Oregon, a few days ago re-
cited that the steamer arriving there
on that day from San Francisco had
brought in no less than 800 tons of
California fruit. That would be equal
to three heavy train-loads of goods.
Oregon is one State ,and one of a sparse
population. The entire commonwealth
probably has no more people within |
her borders than there are in the COM
munity OF Los Angeles to-day. She
is, moreover, a section not wanting in |
fruit of home production. Oregon is
prolific in her crops of small fruits
and berries, and she is also celebrated |
for her apples, pears and plums.
There are steamers plying between
the two points referred to two or more
times a week. The demand. there
fore, from the little State of Oregon
amounts to about train load of fruit |
per diem. Now if each State in the |
Union is to come to use our products |
in any such ratio as this, where shall |
California ever be able to obtain suf-
ficient stuff to fill the bill?
THE FUTURE.
But why should not all the states |
absorb our produce as largely as Ore
gon? Already California oranges have
made way for themselves into all
the cities of the East, in the face of
fruit from all parts of the
world including our own Florida.
The same is true of California |
raisins, which are beating the Spanish |
goods out of the county, "horse, foot
and Dragons"
There are imported into the American |
Union, foreign fruits in the following
proportions according to the Pacific |
Rural Press, of San Francisco:
"We have just received the report |
of the Chief of the Bureau of Statistics
at Washington, giving exports and i'm
ports of the United States for the |
eleven months ending June l, 1887,
and the corresponding period of last
year. We select first, as of especial
interest to our fruit growers, the fig
ures relating to importations of dried |
fruits for the periods described above
Kind of Pounds, Pounds,
fruit 1887. 1856.
Figs. ............. S,723,l37 7,21S, 300 |
Prunes ......... 90,697, ,I69 @54 ,008, ,596 |
Raisins ........... 4O,3SS,273 39,995,72 |
Kind of Values Values,
fruit 1897. 1886. |
Figs. s.............. 5 4S7 557 $ sos, ,O38 |
Prunes. ........... 2,971, ,040 1,99S,7O5 |
Reisins ......... 2,269,456 1851, ,6l9 |
Preserved fruits 65S,706 797,S52 |
Totals .. $6,3S6,759 $6,163,214 |
This shows that, Notwithstanding |
the respectable figures which our pro-
duction of these fruits is reaching, the |
importation of them is increasing.
Even reckOned On the basis Of value |